Gauging machine



Dec. 5, 1 944;

R. F. BELVEAL GAUGI ENG MACHINE Filed May 26, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 w a?o u E o 3 a M 4 0/ W L K 7 2 w III INVENTOR BY RoberT F Belveal M 15.AGENT Dec. 5, 1944. R BELVEAL, 2,364,185

GAUGING MACHINE Filed May 26, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR uponactuating the trip lever 20 to reject the cartridge being inspected.

The improved head thickness gauging device of this invention isindicated generally at 30 andcomprises means for supporting the head ofa cartridge case so that any variation in head thickness from allowabletolerances will be indicated by abnormal displacement of thegaug'ing rod18.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the head thickness gauging device 30comprises a substantially rec-,

tangular base block or post 32'mounted verticall'y' tion of theaperture, is slightly larger than'the on thebase of the machine adjacentthe top I.

of the table II by a pair of bolts33 which pass through drilled holes 34in an apron portion of' the base block 32. A smooth bored hole 36,

slightly greater in diameter than the diameter of the head of acartridge case tobe'gauged, is i? drilled horizontally through the base,blockon v its vertical center line, the horizontal axis of the holebeing substantially in axial alignment with the reciprocating'rodl8 andof suflicient diame eter to accommodate the button 22. a r

Directly above the hole 36 of-the base block is a secondsmooth boredhole. 31 which is'considerably larger than the hole 36 and whichintersects a substantially. rectangular groove or slot 38 cut orotherwise formed in the upper edge of the base block 32. The slot 38extendstransversely across the entire width of the base block or postas. shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The hole 31 isadapted to accommodate adisk-shaped bearing block 39 comprising hard. tool steel or othersuitable material sweated or'otherwise fixedly secured in the hole 31.with a horizontal axially drilledhole 40 having bevelled-edges 42 on itsopposite faces; The upper portion of. the bearing block,.39, whichintersects the transverse groove 38. of the base The block 39 isprovided block when the bearing block and base block are assembled, asshown, is provided with a transverse groove 43which is substantiallyequal in width to the width ofethe groove 38; *moreover,

the bottom surfaces of the ,two. grooves lie in substantially the samehorizontal plane, as shown in Fig.4.

Mounted to movevertically inthe grooves 38 and 43 of the base block andbearing block respectively is a weight comprising a substantiallyrectangular block, 44 pivotally-secured in the groove,38 bya pin 45which-passes through aligned apertures drilled inthe right handedge ofthe base block and in the adjacent lower corner of the Weight block 44.The pin, may besecured in the block by a suitable fastening means suchas'the cotter pin 46.

' The bearing block 39constitutes means for rotatably' supporting a'discoidalf member D for gauging the thickness of the cartridge caseheads.

The member D comprises a' pair-ofsupe'rposed' gauging disks 41, 48secured together, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, by suitable fastening meanssuch as the four rivets 5| and provided with gaugirig aperturesindicatedgenerally at A comprising concentrically arranged substantiallyU-shaped' apertures 49 and- 50*r'espectively; Four such a ertures A,spaced substantially 90 apart on the peripheries of the gaugingdisks,are shown in the present embodiment, but it will be understood thatmodifications-thereof maybe made within" the scope of the appendedclaims.

The apertures 49 of thegaug'in'g disk 41 are provided withrelativelywide flaring er bevelled entrance edges-52 while the width ofeach aperture, between its parallel I sides, and which corresponds tothe diameter of the semicircular poroutside diameter of a standardcartridge head. The depth of the aperture 49 is substantially equalto'the thickness of the disk 41 which is somewhat greater than thethickness of the rim of a standard cartridge case. The outer face 41 ofthe disk 41 is ground to provide a smooth surface adapted to make aclose uniform contact with the adjacent ground surface mentary gaugingdisk 48.

The latter is somewhat smaller in diameter of the complethan the disk 41and is substantially three times its thickness as shown in Fig. 4. Theapertures '59 of the diskitfare located in the inner face of the disk,that i to say, in that face which is in contact withthe outer face 4'!of the disk 41, and havesubstantially square entrance edges 53. Thewidth of each aperture 50 between its substantially parallel sidescorresponds to the diameter of its semicircular portion, is less thanthe width of the corresponding concentric aperture :49 of the gaugingdisk 41 and is substantially eXtraction ,-groove of a standard cartridgecase.

Moreover, the slope of the bevelled shoulders 55 is fiatter than theslopeof, the shoulders of a standard case for the purpose hereinafterdescribed. l V V As shown, the profile of each composite aperture A ofthe discoidal member D formed by assembling the gauging disks 41 and48in their cooperative relationship, shownin section in Fig. 3,

corresponds, in general, to theprofile of ,the head of a cartridge case.Specifically, the aperture 49 is suificiently large to accommodate thehead of a case of maximum head dimensions while the semiannular lip orflange formed by the walls of the aperture 50 engages securely in theextraction groove of the case, andprovides a supporting means adapted toengage'substantially of the rim of the case. It will be noted, however,

that, although the case is held positively by the lip 50 fromlongitudinal movement to the right, as seen in Fig. 2, the case may bedisplaced slightly to the left/inasmuch as the shoulders or the case donot normally contact the bevelled shoulders of the aperture 50. v a

The gauging member D is rotatably mounted in the hole 4!! of the bearing.block by a pair of steel disk-like bearing plates 56 and 51 ofsubstantially equal dimensions, each being provided "with an annularbevelled edge 58 and 59 respectively, adapted to be mounted in rotatingengagement with a cooperating annular bevelled edge 42 of the bearingblock 39.

The bearing plate 56 is'formed integral with or .may be otherwisesecured on the inner face of 'the gauge disk 47; moreover, both bearingplates are provided with horizontally drilled holes 60 and SI inalignment with axially drilled holes 62 and 63 respectively of theassembledgauge disks 4'! and 48. The hole 83 of the gauge disk 48 isprovided with a countersink in its outer facefor seating the kerfed head64 of, a bolt 65 which is adapted to pass through the axially alignedholes of the gauging member D and bearing plates and is provided at itsopposite threadedend with a Y pair of nuts for drawing the gaugingmember moved into gaugingposition. a

arihg block 3' 9. a a a The gaugin merhber D is normally immobile but isadapted to be positively rotated by the intu A or 'the r-neinbe'r D.Thisis accemplished as a cartridge is being moved across the table fromleft to (Fig. '4) at SubStantiaHy right l ockedlgauging aperture -Aofthe member D moves 3 rout of engagement with th'ecartridge when themember :has been rotated through an angle of substantially 45 i ln 'thisposition, as' shown by the dotted lines,

ing aperture which approaching the gauging station, may not beinterlockedsufiiciently with ...the next succedingicartridge case toinsure 170-. the case is tation of ithegaugin'g member D :as

..-iI-Ience suitable means are provided (for :aug- :mentingztherotarymotion of the igauging amem- :ber 'to carry it beyond 'its1imm0bi1eposition and v-t'hus rotate an aperture A thereofysufficiently. to.

iinterlock with thecartridge being advanced into -;;gauging position andcomprises the-above described pivoted weight 44 and asubstantiallyrec-'tangular hardened steel block. 66.: The latter is angle's to theexiszor the member by the feed ian dh'ereinalfter termed the iimm'ob-ileposition of -the gaugihgimember, the next or followinggaugdrilled-axially so as to be mounted, as shown; on.

hearing; block .39 between the spaced bearing .plates 56 and The block66 is -fixedly. seeured to the bearing plate 5.6 of the igaugingfl mem Aber by-means of a pair or rivets 61. orother'suit-l able fasteningmeans. i

It will be clear that when a gauging aperture guide slothavingwaniarcua'te ease :ior accommodating the lower iperipheral portion"of the rotatvableJgauging member 2D. .T-he upper edge of "the =5.gaugeblade myis ipIlOVidBd with aa bevelled li'p 'te'rlockirrg of'acartridge case in a ga'ug'ing aper 'l0 tially the vertical planeuofwthersemiannular slip F50 when the latter 11in [gauging :position: and isspaced therefrom vertically :aedistanoe which correspondssubstantiallyito the diameter of. rthe extraction groove @101 a standardcartridge -case.

.1 The two lips 50 and :15together-constituteigaugingsurf'acesrwhichengagecsubstantially 175% of i the rim portion of thecartridge. case head when the latter hasbeen enterediinto'aigauging'ap'ertune A;of the discoidal member D iorhinspe'ction as describedbelow. A suitable faceplate 1163s the straight-edge |5-oftheiixedigauge=block 10,

which, as described above,-also constitutesaaqsuw thickness. Thus, if. acase havinglan abnormally of the member -.-D;is at the. gauging etation,a corner. 68 of the block 66 is engagedby thelower edge of the weight44. Consequently asthe aperthereby rotating the member Dcounterclockwise; see Fig. 4,the obliquity of the pivotal weight withrespect to wthecornerfie of the block produces a torque which augmentsthe rotationot the member andcarries itFpastits immobile positionwhereby the approachingaperture A successfully interlocks with the .nextsucceedingcarr tridge case. i

i Suitable cartridge case head supporting means are. provide dtocooperate with the gauging apeiitures A of the .discoidal member D whenthe "apertures are in I auging position to .further increasethe area ,ofthe gauging surfaces contact ing the rim of.'the cartridgehead andcomprises a substantiallyrectangUlanbIadeI. 10 which is Iiboltecl to theside of the base block 32 beneath .s'lilostantially the horizohtal planeof the calfitridgie case feed track [3. *The blade is. spaced 'jbaseblock'by a substantially rectangular spacer ate" 11'2, thethichness'ofwhichcorrespondssiibantia'llyto the thickness or the gauge disk 41. Thespacer plate 12 extends longitudinally across 'fthe width of thebaseblock being secured thereto 70 .Whenthe gauging plate advances, theplugrZB secured on the .iront .of the spacing .-;plate M by ythe rivetsl8 and is recessed on its inner face as at. 11 to form a substantiallylrectangularasem for the gauge blade 10.. i r In operation, as thecartridge case is fed along the table or-track l3 to the gaugingdeviceby the feed @means -|"2., its :head is received intotia .gaugingaperturedefined by the edges of the aperturesw w and of the gauge *mem beriD andport for the head lender the caseii When in inspe ction position int-hewgauging device,thelips 50 and '15 =fit into the extraction ggrooveor the case "while the headof the case fiShCGOKIlHiOdEItEd the boltorshaft-165 in the aperture 4010f the i in, the. aperture '49. The 1depthof the aperture .48 ofythe. member D;is,'as shown in ,FigBJand mentionedabove, sufficiently greatto accommodate. the head of 217 0358 having'abnormalhead thic k :rim is carried into thegaugingaperture, the trimwill not be jammed between the rim engaging lips50 and 15 and the edges36'. of the hole 36. Furthermore, if it happens that there .45lareburrs, dents or othermalf-ormat-ions on the .ture is moved away. fromthe gauging. station" rim of the case and especially on that vportion ofthe rim inlcontact'with the gaugingdips =50 and -l5 the head of thecase'will, as mentioned-above, ibecapable of a correspondingly slightlongitu 5 dinal displacement to the left :in the apertureA-S," f

see Fig. 3. In either event, when the -inspection ,or gauging rod L8 iscarried forwardly by thereciprocating slide I 5, the button .22 willstroke thelhead of the case, If the -.\head is too thick .55 or isslightly displaced by. adent or other malformation on'the rim the-gaugerod will-be displacedin itsrsleeve -23 slightly rearward of its normalposition .therebs rotating the gauging lever 24 counterclockwise andswinging theiplug .25 out of line with the aperture [9 'o-f the gauging,fthe' gauging member D, its upper edge being in head [1,thusautomaticallygsetting means 20 .for rejectingthis particularcartridge. Similarly.

if the cartridge head is too thin, the .gauging rod I l8 will beadvanced in its sleeveislightly:forward 6 5 of a normal position; :and,consequently, the

:ejection means will be automatically set as ldescribed above to eiectthecartridge. Ifthe case yis of normal head thickness,"then theYgaugingirod 118 will beset at -a-normalpositionsuch that;

--of the gauging lever 24 will pass freely into the aperture I 9 of theplate. Consequently,theejeotthe apron 35 and gauge blade.flhgconstitutes a. a

passes uninterruptedly through the ma- What is claimed is:

1. In a machine for gauging rimmed articles, a discoidal member havingradial gauging slots; flanges circumscribing said slots; means forfeeding rimmed articles successively into said,

slots to engage the rims of said articles with the flanges of saidslots, a gauging element constructed and arranged to be moved intocontact with the rim of an article in one of said slots and to bedisplaced by said rim whenever the point of contact of said element withsaid rim is greater than a predetermined distance from the flange ofsaid slot; anda. member responsive to the displacement of said gaugingelement to pass or reject said article.

2. In a machine for gauging rimmed articles, a discoidal member havingradial gauging slots; flanges circumscribing said slots; means forfeeding rimmed articles successively into said slots to engage the innerfaces of said rims against the flanges of said slots; a gauging elementconstructed and arranged to be moved intocontact with the outer face ofthe rim of an article in one of said slots and to be displaced by saidrim whenever the outer face thereof is greater than a predetermineddistance from the flange of said slot; and a member responsive to thedisplacement of said gaug- 'a discoidal member mounted in asubstantially vertical plane and having radial gauging slots; flangescircumscribing said slots; means for feeding rimmed articlestangentially into said slots to engagethe rims of said articles with theflanges of said slots; a gauging element constructed and arranged to bemoved substantially perpendicularly to the plane of said discoidalmember into contact with the rim of an article in one of said slots andto be displaced by said rim whenever the point of contact of saidelement with said rim is greater than a predetermined distance from aflange of said slot; and a member responsive to the displacement of saidgauging element to said article.

4. In a machine for gauging rimmed articles,

a discoidal member rotatable in a substantially vertical plane andhaving radial U-shaped gauging slots; flanges circumscribing said slots;means for feeding rimmed articles tangentially into said slots to indexeach slot intermittently to an inspection station and to engage the rimof each article with the flange of its respective slot at saidinspection station; a gauging element at said inspection stationconstructed and arranged to be moved substantially perpendicularly tothe plane of said discoidal member into contact with the rim of anarticle in one of said slots and to be displaced by said rim wheneverthe point of contact of said element with said rim is greater than apredetermined distance from a flange of said slot; and a memberresponsive to the displacement of said gauging element to pass or rejectsaid article.

5. In a machine for gauging rimmed articles, a discoidalmember rotatablein a substantially vertical plane and having radial of each article withthe flange of its respective slot at said inspection station; a gaugingelement at said inspection station constructed and arpass or rejectU-shaped gauging slots; flanges circumscribing said slots;

ranged to be moved substantially. perpendicucontact with the rim of anarticle in one of said slots and to be displaced by said rim wheneverthe point of contact of said element with said."

rim is greater than a predetermined distance from a flange of said slot;a member responsive to the displacement. of said gauging element to passor reject said articles; and'means supplementing said article feedingmeans to index the slots of said discoidal member to said inspectionstation. ,6. In a machine for gauging rimmed articles, rotatablediscoidal member having radial gauging slots; flanges circumscribingsaid slots; means for feeding rimmed articles successively intosaidslots to index said slot'intermittently to an inspection station and toengage the rim of each article with the flange of its respective slot atsaid inspection station; a fixed member at saidzinspection stationhaving a flange constructed and arranged to supplement the flange of aslot at said station and to be engaged by the rim of an article thereat;a gauging element constructed and arranged to be moved into contact withthe rim of an article at said inspec- --tion station and to be displacedby said rim an inspection station and to engage the rim of each articlewith the flange of its respective slot at said inspection station; afixed member at said inspection station having a flange constructed andarranged to supplement the flange of a slot at said station and to beengaged by the rim of an article thereat; a gauging element constructedand arranged to be moved into contact with the rim of an article at saidinspection station and to be displaced by said rim whenever the point ofcontact of said element with said is greater than a predetermineddistance from the flanges of said slot and said fixed member; a memberresponsive to the displacement of said gauging element to pass or rejectsaid article; and a pivoted weight supplementing said article feedingmeans to index the slots of said discoidal member to said inspectionstation.

8. In a machine for gauging rimmed articles, a rotatable discoidalmemberhaving radial gauging slots and a hub provided with planarsurfaces; flanges circumscribing said slots; means for feeding rimmedarticles successively into said slots to index each slot intermittentlyto an inspection station and to engage the rim of an article with theflange of its respective slot at said inspection station; a gaugingelement constructed and arranged to be moved into contact with the rimof an article in one of said slots and to be displaced by said rimwhenever the point of contact of said element with said rim is greaterthan a predetermined distance from the flange of said slot; a

memberresponsive to the displacement of said gauging element to pass orreject said article; and a pivoted weight constructed and arranged tofrictionally engage the planar surfaces of said hub and supplementingsaid article feeding means to index the slots of said discoidal memberto said inspection station.

9. In a machine for gauging head thickness of cartridge cases, adiscoidal member having radial U-shap-ed gauging slots; flangescircumscribing said slots; means for feeding cases tangentially intosaid slots to index each slot intermittently to a gauging station atwhich substantially onehalf of the circumference of the head of eachcase engages against the flange of its respective slot;

a fixed member at said gaugingstation having a flange constructed andarranged to be engaged by the head of a case at said station and tosubtend an arc of substantially 60 on said head; a

gauging element constructed and arranged to be moved into contact withthe head of a case at said gauging station and to be displaced by saidhead whenever said head is of greater than standard thickness; and amember responsive to the displacement of said gauging element to pass orreject said article. i

case engages against the flange of its respective slot; a fixed memberat said gauging stationwhaving a flange constructed and arranged to been gaged by the head of a case at said station and tosubtend an arc ofsubstantially 60 on said head; a gauging element constructed andarranged to be moved into contact with the head of a caseat said gaugingstation and to be dis placed by said head whenever said head is ofgreater than standard thickness; a member re- 10. In a machine forgauging head thickness sponsive to the displacement of said gaugingelement to pass or reject said article; and a pivoted weightsupplementing said feeding means to indexing slots of said discoidalmember to said gauging station.

t ROBERT F.

